Cold City

Cold City is F. Paul Wilson’s latest Repairman Jack novel and it takes the character back to his early days in New York City. It is pretty good. There are supposed to be three novels in this set and then Repairman Jack will be retired.

As the novel opens, Jack is working on a landscaping crew. An argument with a co-worker turns violent and it causes Jack to switch careers. (I don’t want to say too much about the plot.) At the end of the book, Jack has still not become “Repairman Jack” yet but he is on the path.

Jack remains an interesting character. He is likable but also capable of surprising violence. Even he is a bit surprised at times by his capacity for violence. It will be sad when Wilson retires the character.

There are clues to Jack’s future within the book for long time readers. I did not find them distracting. I don’t think that a new reader would be distracted.